After taking a somewhat extended hiatus on reviewing products, I've come back with a review on a truly amazing piece – the Premium Format Luke Skywalker & Yoda from Sideshow Collectibles. Admittedly, I've been down on the 12" offerings I've acquired from SSC, but the Premium Scale is a different animal. To say that this pieces is a work of art is a complete understatement, and the only way to fully appreciate it is to see it in person. Hopefully, the detail and craftsmanship will come through in these accompanying photographs and though the review itself.
PACKAGING: 4.75
Sideshow not only produces a museum quality product, the packaging itself is simplistic, yet elegant and fully displayable. The box prominently displays the Luke and Yoda figures by way of stickers applied to the four main panels of the box. Three of the sides feature essentially a torso shot of Luke, with Yoda in tow, with the back of the box depicting the entire piece along with inset shots from Empire Strikes Back and a brief synopsis of Luke's adventures thus far.
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PACKAGING (FRONT)
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PACKAGING (SIDE)
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PACKAGING (BACK)
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PACKAGING (3/4 VIEW)
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PACKAGING (SYNOPSIS)
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Within the attractive outer box, is the two-piece styrofoam shell that delicately cradles the disassembled pieces. Each component of the statue is wrapped in plastic to prevent the styrofoam from wearing against their finishes. Included in both Regular and Exclusive Editions is the Luke Skywalker (single unit, no assembly required), Yoda, and Dagobah Environment Base. And, if you were fortunate enough to get the Exclusive Edition, you are treated to a great accessory: The battle damaged helmet of Darth Vader* which reveals Luke face.
*Although this item was originally included with this figure, it was damaged upon arrival and is not available for picture day, Sideshow is exchanging it for the damaged one and it will be added to the review and toyguide once it arrives.
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PACKAGING
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PACKAGING
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PACKAGING
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All in all, the protection of the individual pieces is great, but the plain cardboard shipping box doesn't provide much protection to the main Sideshow box - thus the 4.75 out of 5.00 rating. A drop on any one corner will undoubtedly damage/mar/crush the corner of the inner box, thus detracting from its overall displayability. Of course, the condition of your box may vary depending on the care taken to it during transit, but for a piece as expensive as this, I suggest when ordering, request to have it shipped "double-boxed" – a service that Sideshow gladly offers at a minimal additional cost.
SCULPT: 5.00
THE BASE:
The display base for this piece is your very own slice of Dagobah, Heck, if Sideshow wanted to, they could sell this piece separately to use with the Hasbro 3-3/4" figures and Yoda wouldn't look out of place at all. The base itself measures 10.25" in diameter and is perfectly sculpted with lifelike terrain, complete with tree stump, moss, vines, rocks, dirt and other debris.
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DISPLAY BASE
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DISPLAY BASE
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DISPLAY BASE
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DISPLAY BASE
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DISPLAY BASE
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Also, along the front of the edge of the "ground" or "shoreline" designers incorporated small ripples in the base to give the illusion of water. Nice. About the only thing missing is a lizard, snake or perhaps even a storage crate from Luke's camp. Who knows, maybe Sideshow could produce a small "Premium Format Dagobah Expansion Set" with those items. What do you think? Let's move on...
THE APPRENTICE:
The sculpt for Luke doesn't disappoint either. The likeness is very good and is eerily realistic at certain angles. Although I'm not 100% certain on this, but it appears that the sculptor went the extra mile by including the facial scars Mark Hamill acquired prior to the filming of ESB.
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LUKE
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LUKE
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LUKE
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LUKE
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LUKE
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LUKE
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LUKE
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LUKE
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The body is well proportioned, standing at 18" tall on the base, and captures his physique from this scene quite accurately. The underlying musculature (especially the arms), the creases in the skin (especially the hands and elbows) are well captured as is the texture of the hair where the sculptor included metal/wire hair strands which helps to give the impression of wet hair.
THE MASTER:
Master Yoda is half the "thing" he used to be as the designers decided to forego the legs & feet, which is too bad really, but understandable considering the subject of the scene. Yoda's face is a spot on likeness for his Original Trilogy, pre-CGI, character and the expression on the face to me is one of the truest representations of Yoda I think I've ever seen. When I think of the Yoda from my childhood, this is the face I see. Bravo Sideshow. Bravo.
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YODA
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YODA
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YODA
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YODA
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YODA
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Yoda's unique hands are amazing as well; the wrinkles and veins are well defined and there is even a little wart on one of his fingers. Hey, you'd have a wart or two living in the swamp for 20+ years. Much to my delight, Sideshow chose to give Yoda well-defined sculpted hair rather than "real" hair. Most of the time "real" hair ends up looking a tad cheap, like an afterthought or a bad hair plug job. Thank you Sideshow for going the tasteful route.
PAINT & SOFT GOODS: 5.00
THE BASE:
The display base paint treatment is expertly applied and it gives this a very organic, swamp-like feel and adding to the realism are glossy areas that give the impression of wet or damp ground.
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DISPLAY BASE
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DISPLAY BASE
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DISPLAY BASE
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DISPLAY BASE
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The underside of the base has a nice felt pad to prevent marring the surface of whatever it sits on. On the felt pad, the Star Wars logo is prominently displayed along with the item name and edition size.
THE APPRENTICE:
From the smattering of mud on the skin to the sweat soaked look of his Dagobah/Bespin Fatigues, Luke's paint application really bring this figure to life. You almost get the urge to wash your hands after handling him as the dirt and grime appears to be very real. The hands receive the bulk of the mud treatment, but there is a tad bit on his shoulders and elbows as well. The face is well accented as is the treatment to the hair, my only criticism on the head at all is the eyes. I'm sure painting a realistic eyeball is not the easiest thing in the world, Sideshow gets close here with the glossy eyeball itself and the white highlights, but the irises (blue areas) do look a tad too blue. A more muted tone might have been better served, again a minor quibble.
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LUKE
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LUKE
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LUKE
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LUKE
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LUKE
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LUKE
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LUKE
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LUKE
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As for the clothes, the pants/trousers are well tailored from what appears to be cotton/twill with cargo pockets (non-working) and the upper portions of the boots are assembled from suede/microfiber and vinyl to simulate the straps that wrap around the boots. I wouldn't have minded a bit more weathering to his tank top in the chest and armpit areas to bring out the sweaty, Jedi-in-Training look a little more, but that's a minor quibble.
Luke's backpack is very well constructed with canvas, nylon straps and real metal hardware, fully capable of toting his "little green friend" over the river and through the swamp, but there is no weathering applied to it which interrupts the realism of the piece. If you've ever ran or rode your bike outside while it's wet, your back typically gets covered with "dirtiness". I'm sure with all the running, climbing and flipping through the various bogs and mud puddles, his satchel would get just a bit soiled.
THE MASTER:
Although the Yoda is mostly a stuffed sock with a head and arms, the areas where paint is utilized recreate Yoda's colorings perfectly. The face is composed of many different layers of shading and highlighting which greatly enhances its appearance and gives him an aged, wise look. Even though the ears are solid, they have a certain translucent look to them, like the actual puppet, and the effect is totally achieved through the painting process. The hands are quite good as well, having a weathered look especially around the knuckles and the nails/claws.
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YODA
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YODA
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YODA
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YODA
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As for clothes, Yoda still wears his traditional Jedi garb, which consists of a dark brown tunic and a lighter outer robe constructed from a light burlap-type material. The fit and finish of these items are tailored well and drape quite naturally, but again lack weathering. The inclusion of some patched or frayed areas might have added a bit more authenticity to an otherwise outstanding figure. He also has a simplistic belt with a non-working pouch all assembled from leather to keep everything in its place. And the finishing touch, Yoda's flute, or Blissl, hangs around his neck which he undoubtedly mastered during his exile.
EXCLUSIVE ACCESSORY: 0.00
See above.
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